What Am I Using?

Computer running slowly?

Check whether one app or the whole device is slow. Find what to look for in Task Manager, Activity Monitor and your free storage.

Is one app slow, or does the whole device feel slow?

Open a lightweight built-in app such as a text editor or settings. Compare its response with the app that first felt slow.

Reduce the app’s workload

A large file, many tabs or a problem with one app can slow it down while the rest of the device stays responsive.

Save your work and reopen the app. Compare a new small file or a single tab with the original workload.
Install updates through the app’s normal updater or app store. If only one document causes the problem, make a copy before testing it further.

Find what is busy

A sustained high reading during the slowdown can show whether a process is using most of the processor, memory or storage.

Save work and restart once. Give sign-in tasks time to settle, then reproduce the slowdown.
Check which app stays near the top of resource usage. Close an app you recognise if you can do so safely. Note the result before changing anything else.
Check free storage. If the problem persists, share the busy resource and the exact activity with support.

Catch the slowdown when it happens

Intermittent problems are easier to investigate when you know what was running at the time.

Note whether it happens after sign-in, when plugged in, during updates or with a particular workload.
Open the device’s activity monitor during the next slowdown and note which resource stays busy.